This is, quite simply, Supes as he's supposed to be. Hoechlin nails both sweet, stuttering Clark Kent and his awe-inspiring alter ego, but also, the show just gets the character on a fundamental level.

The Supergirl writers understand that it's Superman who's the performance, and Clark - the sweet boy from Kansas - is the real deal. ("You really have that klutzy thing down!" laughs Kara after an awkward encounter. "Yeah, no, that was actually real," admits her cousin.)

Reactions to the character are pitch-perfect too: yes, the general public is supposed to be a little intimidated by him, but in the same way you'd be intimidated meeting a world-famous rock star. The people love Superman - heck, even Cat Grant's smitten with Clark.

And on Cat, for those who feared she'd be absent from this new season, Calista Flockhart is very much present - and thank goodness, because Supergirl would be a lesser show without Cat and her unorthodox mentorship of Kara.

Cat's status - Flockhart's no longer a series regular - is one of a few minimal changes imposed on Supergirl as a result of moving networks. But if you weren't already aware of those behind-the-scenes shenanigans, it's doubtful you'd even notice the differences.

The writers do immediately "hang a lampshade" on the shift from CBS to the lighter and brighter CW, by having Kara (Melissa Benoist) literally relocate to lighter and brighter surroundings in the opening scenes.

"The DEO has several facilities," explains J'onn J'onzz (David Harewood), while Alex (Chyler Leigh) says their new digs are "kind of like the old place, maybe better". Take that, CBS!

But these changes are purely cosmetic and when it comes to the things that matter, the only changes that Supergirl makes are the sort of smart tweaks that any show makes in its second season, once it knows what worked and what didn't in the previous year.

Take the Kara / James / Winn love triangle, a sub-plot which did none of the characters involved any favours. Kara came off as needy, endlessly pining after James, who was chasing two women at once, while Winn was selfish and entitled, sulking when Kara didn't return his feelings.

"I want it to work!" Kara laments of her romance with James - but no-one else does, the audience included, so Supergirl wisely has the pair cool off their romance here. Likewise, moving Wynn from Kara's side at CatCo to a full-time gig at the DEO should help to lessen his creepy stalker vibe.

'Adventures of Supergirl' is a rather busy episode, which is perhaps unsurprising given the amount it had to accomplish.

First, it had to not mess up Superman - it doesn't - and not have him overshadow Kara in what's supposed to be her show - and he doesn't, because he's much too nice for that.

Instead, he shares a few tricks he's learnt through experience, about being a superhero and a mild-mannered reporter, inspiring Kara to take inspiration from her "cuz" in taking on a new career.

But the episode also had to implement a little course correction and set up what's to come in season two - surely Katie McGrath's Lena Luthor isn't as squeaky clean as she appears?

That's quite the number of hurdles to overcome and it's a credit to Supergirl that in this inventive and entertaining hour, it doesn't just vault them. It soars - up, up, and away.